Improvement in felted hats



'UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

EDWARD SEALY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FELTED HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,198, dated May 18,1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SEALY, of Newark,in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Hat, which I denominatean inlaid hat and that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription and specification of my said invention, and of the manner ofmaking the same.

My inlaid hat is a hat presenting a variegated surface or pattern,produced by inlaying a hat-body of one color with threads or yarns ofone or more different colors, which yarns are combined with the hat-bodyby a felting operation. I i

As the pattern-yarns are inlaid in the body, they cannot be removed bythe finishing-operations to which the hat-body is subjected afterfelting; consequently the pattern is permanent.

The mode which I have devised of manufacturin g my inlaid hats is towind the patternyarns into the hat-bat as it is formed by winding afleece'from a carding-engine upon the former or block.

In order to carry out this process with economy, and to produceregularity in the design of the pattern, I have improved the formingmachine usually employed in forming wool hat-bodies, by combining withit a spool-stand,

, which supports a number of spools or bobbins holding the pattern-yarn.

In forming the hat-bodies the fleece of wool from the doii'er of themachine and the pattern-yarns are both applied to the hat-former, sothat as it revolves the pattern-yarns are wound upon the hat-former inthe layers of l the fleece, and are thus inlaid in the hat. The

Vibration of the former causes the patternyarns to cross each other inthe hat, so as to produce a cross-barred or plaid pattern, which may begreatly varied by varying the number and color of the pattern-yarns andthe direction in which they are guided in passing to the former.

When the hat-bats are formed they are hardened, sized, and finished inthe usual manner, and when finished their surfaces present a patternformed by the pattern-threads upon a ground-work of the color of thewoolfleece of which the hat-body has been formed. Having thus describedmy improved hat, I declare that I do not claim in this patent theprocess of making it by winding the patternyarns into the bat, nor theimprovement which I have made in the forming-machine for the purpose ofmanufacturing by that process;

neither do I limit the invention set forth in this patent to an inlaidhat produced by such process or machine, as the process of inlaying thepattern-yarn may be varied, and diflerent machinery may be used. Thus,for example, instead of drawing each pattern-yarn from a separate spoolor bobbin, the yarns may be formed by weaving or otherwise intonet-work, and the sheet of net-work may be wound into the layers of thefleece; or the hat-bat may be formed in the usual way, and the patternthread or yarn may be inserted in the body after it is formed by meansof a needle or otherwise.

What therefore l claim as my invention in this patent is- The inlaidhat, substantially as hereinbefore described, having a body variegatedby patternthreads inserted in such body and combined with it by felting,the same being a new article of manufacture.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand this 31st day of July, A.D. 1567;

EDWARD SEALY.

Witnesses:

W. T. SEALY, R. W. WILDE.

